


Orca Talisman

by LegoLock



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Drowning, Ficlet, M/M, Magic, Mer!AU, Orca - Freeform, Rebirth, merman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 04:25:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3677352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegoLock/pseuds/LegoLock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the ultimatum. Jim is on his way to die...but a curious pod of killer whales happens to be nearby. And not everything is as it seems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Orca Talisman

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short little ficlet for starwberrypwndcake on tumblr. One of the winners of my very small giveaway. They asked for MorMor/Mer!AU...and I got a bit carried away with it so likely I'll come back for more with this pairing! Hopefully this is alright!

A sleek, black, yacht powered through the waves of the North Sea, the only boat on the water for miles. It was almost as if all the other boats had been directed well around the boat...which was actually not so far from the truth. Armed guards patrolled the decks, keeping watch. Some stopping to watch a curious pod of orcas come to play in the ship's wake.

Below, cuffed to the railing near the engines, sat one small, sweating and beaten, Irishman. The throb of the high-powered boat motor throbbed though the man's entire body. The noise was so loud that it drowned out his thoughts...

Who was he?

Richard Brook. Jim from IT. James Moriarty. The Spider. The Napoleon of Crime.

Jim was many things, but he wasn't immortal. Even he could die. And that was the hope and intent of the voyage he was currently on. Jim Moriarty was being taken out to sea to die. It might have seemed excessive, but the extent of his criminal web called for drastic measures. The only way to deal with him and his influences was to leave no trace of him.

It was a shame, in Jim's mind, since he rather enjoyed his talks with the elder Holmes' brother. It was just a shame that Mycroft wouldn't let him play with Sherlock. He supposed it made sense, though, in way. 

The motor of the boat died to a low hum. 

It was time.

Jim hardly had long to wait before six guards, a rather excessive number if you asked Jim, came to fetch him. There wasn't going to be much pomp or circumstance, he was going to be dumped over the side and left to drown. That would be fitting. It would look like an accident...if his body was ever found. They un-cuffed him from the rail and hauled him to his feet, frogmarching him from the lower decks without much mercy. Jim didn't intend to beg for any either.

Though he would admit, as they finally arrived on the outer deck, that the chilling breeze was a welcome thing compared to the stuffy engine room below. He didn't get much of a chance to enjoy it, though, as he was marched, unceremoniously, towards the back of the sleek vessel. More guards waited...all masked and anonymous. Shame, he had rather hoped Mycroft would want to be there to see him off. 

“Mr. Holmes couldn't stomach watching?” Jim asked innocently, but leered wickedly. 

He was rewarded with a stiflingly fist to the side of his face. The world blinked out of existence for a moment. Just long enough for Jim to hit his knees and scramble to catch himself from fully hitting the deck.

His head swam and he tasted blood, but he slowly smiled up at his abuser. “That almost hurt...” He didn't get a chance to taunt the fellow any further because hands were on him, dragging him back up to his feet.

Jim didn't fight them...not at first...not until he heard fabric tearing and the cold breeze against his back! He struggled then when they stripped him...and more when they shoved the mouths of a glass bottle into his mouth. It was a wonder they didn't chip his teeth! He choked on the rush of burning fluid, but they didn't relent and he couldn't spit it out...all he managed was to drool most of the bottle of strong liquor all over his chest. 

They were really going to make it look like he'd gotten drunk and fallen off a boat! 

The realization hit Jim full force...incidentally..it was about the same time as they finished force feeding him the bottle. He saw the railing and instant before he was falling over the side, thrown into the inky blackness just as the engines of the yacht kicked on again. 

No pomp and circumstance, just get him over the side!

Jim hit the water and screamed! The cold water stabbed into him like knives! He struggled to the surface, gasping and floundering in the water. The yacht already too far away to swim for and already the little Irishman could feel the burning alcohol starting to worm into his mind. Jim cursed and started to swim, there was nothing he had to lose from trying...right?

A dark shape darted from the corner of his eye, it was quick and large. Jim's rational brain rushed to supply him logical information.

_Shark? Unlikely._

_Orca? More likely. Non-threatening to humans._

His irrational brain, which was becoming more talkative with the liquor, supplied him with a fresh dose of naturally ingrained fear. 

_He was out in the middle of the North Sea with no one around...and there could be any manner of creature waiting to snap him up!_

Jim struggled to swim, struggled to stay calm and coherent as he fought the cold and the alcohol. The shape darted by, this time close enough for Jim to feel the water move beside him! The Irishman floundered, panicking just a bit and sinking below the surface of the water with a strangled scream. Below the surface, Jim could hear the unmistakeable clicks and cries of orcas. A pod of orcas. They could be anywhere...Jim couldn't see far in the murky water!

He broke the surface, which took more effort than it should have, his limbs sluggish and numb. The orcas wouldn't hurt him. They wouldn't! Right?

A dark shape circled him, this time Jim could defiantly see it was there...and it was circling! Did orcas circle prey? Or was that just sharks?

A black fin broke the surface and Jim couldn't help but stare at it, transfixed by it as the creature it was attached to circled ever closer to the slowly drowning man. More black fins appeared, but these rose tall like pillars and were followed by the plumes of water that came with the clearing of blowholes. The one that circled around Jim was shorter...and had yet to take a breath.

As the fin finally circled in close enough for Jim to glimpse the creature, Jim's cold...drunken...body gave up the fight to stay afloat...and he sank beneath the waves. As soon as he sank, the man was serenaded by more chilling wails and clicks, this time from orcas he could vaguely make out as they swam around his sinking form. However, it was not these large predators Jim's eyes came to rest on.

It was the blurry form of what could only be described as a merman. Though, unlike the popular fictional sort...this merman was not attached to a fish tail. He was adorned with a beautiful orca fluke and amazingly, the dorsal fin as well as flippers in the place where his “human” hips met orca body. His skin was pale...and melded beautifully with the black and white of his fluke. He was blonde...which Jim found rather amusing considering that he was staring at the merman with an orca body as he slowly sank towards his death.

Speaking of which...his lungs burned...reminding him he was dying. He was too far below to care to try and resurface, not that Jim had the strength to do so anyway. So he stared back at the curious creature that was staring at him. 

The merman glided closer...and Jim could see scars. Some appeared to be bite marks...large ones from orcas and small ones from...well likely other merfolk. Others appeared to be ragged battle wounds...probably from fishermen or whalers if Jim had to guess. About the creature's neck was an odd sort of necklace, adorned with bits of garbage...hooks...and bones...but at the very center was a talisman...he'd never know what it was, it seemed, since his dying moments were upon him.

Jim's lungs screamed at him as his vision swam out of focus. The little Irishman smiled at the merman. At least he'd die with something interesting in his sights...he mouthed, 'Bye-bye, Tiger...' as the last of his oxygen burbled from his lips...

The merman tilted his head...and the clicking and wailing stopped. Jim inhaled water, it burned and his body convulsed. Strong arms wrapped about his torso...

Lips, warm and soft, sealed over his and the wailing returned...this time louder! It was almost unbearable and Jim wanted to scream at them to stop. His body burned and his lungs felt like they were being shredded! The strong arms held his shuddering body close, held him as he died...and the world when dark...and silent...

Jim's eyes darted open abruptly, urgently! His lungs were full with just enough oxygen to reach the surface! Something primal drove Jim there, towards the surface that should have been too far for him to reach, yet he seemed to rocket towards the surface with unbelievable speed! His face broke through the waves and he gasped in a harsh lungful of cold, crisp air!

“What the hell!?” 

The blonde orca mer surfaced slowly next to him, taking a deep breath himself as he smiled at Jim cautiously. “You seem too young to die...”

Jim was frankly a little started to hear the merman speak...still trying to make sense of what had occurred. He had died. He was certain he had! It was then...Jim began to realize he didn't feel the cold water...well he felt it, but it didn't bother him. His body felt odd...too...new.

He risked a glance below the waves and was rather stunned...and partly pleased, to discover his legs were replaced with a beautiful fluke of his own! The patterns weren't quite the same as the other merman, which he supposed made some sense, but it was a fluke and flipper all the same. 

“Why? How?”

“It gets...lonely being the last of your pod...” The merman shrugged as the orcas swelled around them, “Consider it an invitation to start anew in a place where you are welcome.”

Jim eyed the merman, noting the talisman at this neck appeared to be gone. Jim didn't need to look down to know it was on his neck, nor did he need to wonder what it was. It was an orca. A traditional carving out of stone. So it would seem magic wasn't so mythical. 

The other merman moved closer to Jim and the smaller Irishman couldn't help buy move closer. “I'm Sebastian...but I like when you call me Tiger.” 

Jim smirked just a little and stroked his newly webbed fingers over Sebastian’s scarred chest. “Tiger it is...” He glanced at the orcas and then back to Sebastian. This was turning out to be a better day than he could have hoped for...he flicked his new tail, testing it out as he turned to look at the orcas once more. 

Who was he? 

Richard Brook. Jim from IT. James Moriarty. The Spider. The Napoleon of Crime.

_Merman._

The orca pod turned then, heading away. Sebastian laid a hand on Jim's shoulder...beckoning him to follow. What did Jim have to lose? Besides...someone had to show him how to use his new fluke...

 


End file.
